Shorebirds slaughtered on Kaipara Harbour

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More than 100 shorebirds, including the endangered dotterel, have been slaughtered after a "callous" mass shooting in Kaipara Harbour, on Northland's west coast.

More than 100 godwits, knots, dotterels and other shorebirds were believed to have been shot in an illegal harvest at the end of February, Forest & Bird Marine Advocate Karen Baird said.

Injured birds not collected were left suffering, with some eaten by predators, she said.

The shooting was discovered by former Forest & Bird northern branch chairman Steve Westgate who described the shooting as callous.

"I was appalled to see the state of these birds, dragging their wings along the ground."

More than 1000 godwits and 300 knots had been counted in the harbour over the summer by University of Auckland researcher Steffi Ismar.

Deborah Harding of local hapu, Te Uri O Hau Settlement Trust, said the shooting was not a sanctioned cultural harvest.

"These guys are way out of line and we would like to catch them as much as DOC and Forest & Bird.

"We are shocked that anyone should treat our taonga with such disrespect," she said.

There are thought to be just 1700 dotterels left in New Zealand.

The Department of Conservation was investigating the shootings and said a prosecution could lead to fines of up to $100,000 and a jail term of up to six months.

- NZPA